For two seasons, Jaylen Brown’s sneaker rotation has been a revolving door of brands with logos covered up with alternate imagery and messaging. Now, the debate regarding what shoe brand he’ll wear next has been put to rest; from here on out, he’ll be wearing his own independent brand.
Today, Jaylen Brown officially unveils his sneaker brand 741 Performance with a formal debut of his first basketball shoe. Jaylen’s been spotted wearing the sneaker throughout the summer, creating viral moments around the sneaker by giving away the shoes off his feet to young fans at New York City’s Rucker Park. It also made its debut on an official NBA level as he was photographed with the shoes during Boston’s Media Day photo ops.
In addition to a first official look at the shoes, a brand statement has also been released. “Welcome to 741, the future of performance. With innovation at its core, 741 fuses advanced technology and minimalist design, redefining what it means to step into your potential. These sneakers are engineered for champions, built for those who seek excellence at every step.”
Since joining the NBA ranks, Jaylen Brown was signed with adidas; that contract expired in 2022. Brown signed with Chinese brand PEAK not long after, but due to poor fit he often resorted to wearing Nike Kobe footwear and adidas footwear while covering up logos. His criticism of Nike has been well documented, challenging Nike’s ethics in response Nike’s cutting ties with Kyrie Irving and brand founder Phil Knight stating that its former athlete “crossed the line”. The “beef” came to a head once again when Brown indirectly accused Nike of playing a role in keeping Brown off the 2024 USA Men’s Basketball Team, which Nike has major investment in.
Instead of signing with another brand, Jaylen chose to go the independent route. According to Complex, he was inspired by Kobe Bryant to venture off on his own; Bryant himself had plans to start his own independent athletic shoe company after his contract came to an end in 2020 as his tragic passing that year changed that trajectory completely.
A pre-order is set to launch soon on 741performance.com; an official release date is scheduled for October 22nd.
